It’s not just peanut butter and jelly that go together. Scanning and cloud storage also make a great pair. Scanning business documents can reduce paper costs and increase efficiency around the workplace. Storing documents in the cloud offers the same benefits. When the two are combined, the benefits are maximized.

Let’s learn more about scanning and cloud storage and why the two go together like ham and swiss.

From Hard Copies to Digital

A document scanning service captures text and images on a page and converts it to a digital file. As long as the information is clear and legible, the digital document is just as good as the hard copy. Electronic files can be viewed in the format of your choice: PDF, JPEG or TIFF.

When documents are converted to an electronic format, they need to be kept somewhere other than a file cabinet. Examples of storage options include external hard drives, flash drives, CDs or DVDs. While these options are cost-effective and convenient, they have significant drawbacks.

For example, if you are traveling for work and forget your flash drive at home, there’s no way to retrieve the stored files. Or, if you want to collaborate with others on your team, you can’t do so when all files are stored on an external hard drive. Luckily, there is a better, more efficient option: cloud storage.

Benefits of Combining Scanning and Cloud Storage

The cloud storage model keeps documents on remote servers where they can be accessed anytime, anywhere. The benefits to using both scanning and cloud storage are:

• Cost savings. It’s expensive to maintain hardware, physical files, in-house servers, etc. You can save money by keeping documents in the cloud and not having to retain IT professionals and consultants.
• Increased efficiency. Online data storage grants employees the freedom to work when and where they want. As long as there is an internet connection, staff can review files, collaborate with others, check customer accounts and more.
• Improved security. Cyberattacks are becoming more prevalent and pose a risk to any business. While the cloud isn’t 100% secure, it has some of the toughest security around.
• Better service. With employees able to work remotely, customer service is improved. No matter how far of a geographic area your employees cover, the ability to work productively reinforces the “small team” idea.

Are you ready to streamline your business operations with document scanning, destruction and cloud storage? Global Document Services has everything you need to turn those cumbersome files into safe, accessible electronic documents.